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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · safe · face · wake · march · firm · spring · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. spring — the season
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. spring — a coil
  9. firm — decided
  10. wake — a trail
  11. firm — a company
  12. spring — of water
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. face — to confront
  15. game — a match
  16. march — the month
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. firm — steady
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com